The Exterior Paint Files: Rusty Terracotta Reds

On a trip to Rome last year, my husband and I became obsessed with the rusty terracotta color of so many buildings there. As you can see, we took zillions of photos of buildings in this color family, hoping to find a shade we might replicate for our own Spanish-style house, which is currently painted a rather shocking citrus yellow. Trouble is, while any good paint store can approximate a color, even the best house painters can't replicate the sun-baked finish of the paint jobs in Rome's picturesque piazzas—and any attempt to do so would surely look as fake as it sounds. More on our dilemma after the jump...

One favorite: Benjamin Moore's Georgian Brick

Looking over the photos now, we're trying to decide whether these rusty terracotta reds are the right way to go. Possible drawbacks:

• Rusty reds look great in the sun, but let's face it—most of the time, it's overcast and foggy here in San Francisco.